The Latest: Authorities search for bar shooting motive

President Donald Trump is blaming the gunman's mental illness for the California bar shooting that left 12 people dead.

Friday, November 9th 2018, 12:30 PM EST

Updated:

Saturday, November 10th 2018, 1:10 AM EST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on the shooting at a Southern California bar that left 13 dead, including the gunman (all times local):

3:45 p.m.

A high school track coach says she was afraid of a student who later killed 12 people in a bar in Southern California.

Dominique Colell says she had run-ins with then-sprinter Ian David Long that convinced her that he was "mentally disturbed" and had "anger issues" before he left to join the U.S. Marine Corps.

In one instance, 38-year-old Colell says Long grabbed her rear and midsection after she refused to return a cellphone he said was his.

Colell says she wanted to kick Long off the team but the boy's coach urged her to reconsider because that could compromise his goal of joining the Marines.

Long shot and killed 12 people, including a police sergeant, at a country music bar in suburban Los Angeles. Authorities believe he killed himself.

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11:55 a.m.

A law enforcement official says the gunman who killed 12 people at a Southern California bar posted to social media during the attack.

The official told The Associated Press that Ian David Long had Facebook and Instagram accounts and that he posted about his mental state and whether people would believe he was sane.

Authorities haven't determined a motive. The official said investigators are looking at possibilities including whether the gunman believed his former girlfriend would be at the bar.

The official was briefed on the investigation into Wednesday's night shooting but wasn't authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke to the AP only on condition of anonymity.

Long shot and killed 12 people, including a police sergeant, at the Borderline Bar and Grill, a country music bar in suburban Los Angeles. Authorities believe he killed himself.

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- Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo in Washington

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9:10 a.m.

President Donald Trump is blaming mental illness for the California bar shooting that left 13 people dead, including the shooter.

Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, described gunman Ian David Long as "a very sick puppy" who had "a lot of problems."

Long, who opened fire at the country music bar in Thousand Oaks on Wednesday, was seen by a mental health specialist in April who worried the 28-year-old Marine veteran might have post-traumatic stress disorder. Investigators have not commented on a motive for the shooting, or whether mental illness played a role.

Trump touted his efforts to fund PTSD among veterans. But he declined to engage on questions on whether the nation needed stricter gun control laws.

Trump has closely aligned himself with the powerful gun lobbying group, the National Rifle Association, and has resisted calls for tougher firearms measures.

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